The Slump

We’re all faced with hurdles in life. Times of difficulty, confusion and sadness. One of these said times is when we are faced with the reality that Summer is well and truly done, and months of coats, dull skies and an extra blanket on the end of your bed are approaching.

Personally, I live for these times. The long nights in, the shorter days where being in your joggers by 3pm is totally acceptable. But really, the fact it becomes acceptable to cover up head to toe is what is really appealing.

There’s no doubt that the summer months bring a sense of dread to some of us. The thought of revealing your body to everyone can make even the most confident wince. No matter how many body positive instagram accounts I follow, that first time being in a bikini in public can feel like I’m walking around completely naked.

My mind tells me everyone can see the weird dimples in my thighs, that they’re judging my cellulite and stretch marks. My stomach isn’t rippling with abs or definition and my hips bulge over my waistband. What I fail to realise is that in reality, nobody else even notices these things. Even if they do, they don’t tell me about it. So why do I care so much?

Accepting Your Flaws

For me, my body is something I’ve never been one hundred percent content with. I go through phases, like I’m sure many others do, of wanting to hide it under as many layers as possible. I have accepted by now that I will never be a skinny girl, because i’m just not built that way. But my blotchy freckled skin, wide hips and thighs are just some of the things I wish I could change, but know I have no control over.

It all comes down to what we’re told is acceptable and desirable. I won’t get into the social pressures on body image right now, that’s for another time; but it seems that no matter how major or minor, we can only focus on the negative aspects of our bodies which are practically invisible to others.

So, when winter comes around, we start to feel safe again. No more getting our bodies out in public. No more dressing in next to nothing to save ourselves from the heat. We’re back to hiding in our clothes again, safe under the layers of jumpers, coats and scarves. There’s no need to be shapely anymore, we can just become human squares layered in different types of wool.

Look After Yourself

We’d all rather hide away from our issues, be them mental or physical. But when it comes to how we feel about our bodies it’s never good to ignore it. I personally believe no matter what size or shape you’ve been made into, you are perfect. If you are happy with it, then that’s all that matters. If you haven’t quite learnt how to love it yet, like me, then just keeping working on it. Whether exercise, socialising, researching or just talking about how you feel helps you, just do it. Do what’s good for you, when you want to do it. There’s no right or wrong way to love yourself.

No matter how you feel about your body, don’t forget to love it through every season. Just because it’s not being shown off as much, don’t forget to take care of it. Let it rest, feed it well, and make it move when it needs to.

Pick yourself up from the Autumn slump. Don’t use your winter wardrobe to hide behind. You got this.
All photos in this post were taken by my oh so talented friend Flo Crowcroft. Be sure to check her outhere
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